Much ado about Husain: Police seize artworks, lawyer seeks FIR against 'offending' art gallery

Two artworks by iconic painter MF Husain have been seized by the police after a Delhi court called for their confiscation earlier this week on a complaint by a Delhi lawyer, who alleged that they were "obscene" depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses, in an odd case that pits high art against robust religiosity.

- Arnabjit Sur

The case was heard on Wednesday at the Patiala House court by judicial magistrate first class Sahil Monga, who reserved his verdict on fastening criminal liability for hurting religious sentiments on the organisers who put the artworks on display last month at the DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery).

Delhi High Court lawyer Amita Sachdeva claimed that she saw the paintings at DAG last month, and felt offended by them because they depicted Lord Ganesha with a naked female figure on his lap, and Lord Hanuman holding a naked female figure in his hands.

The Delhi Police, which filed an action taken report (ATR) on Wednesday, informed the court that the artworks were taken from the art gallery, which was a "private space" and were now lying in the police malkhana.

Sachdeva's lawyer told the court that a nude depiction, referred to as "Shakti", ostensibly created by Husain, was also exhibited at the gallery but that artwork was not seized by the police.

During the hearing, advocate Makrand Adkar, appearing for Sachdeva, took objection to the police describing the gallery as a private space. He argued that the event held in December was a public exhibition or else "the complainant wouldn't have visited" it.